PHILIPS LIGHT + BUILDING PAVILION

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LAVA used gaming industry algorithms and natures’ swarming principles for the design of a pavilion for Philips.

The sculptural pavilion, at the 2014 Light + Building international trade show in Frankfurt, used a ribbon-based routing concept derived from visitor flow simulations.

LAVA used algorithms based on swarm principles, group dynamics and visual perception to create an optimised route and layout for the pavilion. Natures’ swarm principles are found in animal and human group behaviour. In unfamiliar buildings and cities and emergencies, for example, people will follow others but still keep their distance. Flocks of birds clearly reveal these principles of attraction, separation and alignment.

They used a combination of custom-made and open-source code and algorithms used in the gaming industry. And developed their own software tool with clear graphics for design members without coding knowledge.